Carol's congestive heart failure (CHF) testimony 1/28/19

[@tinacristallo7226]

Omgosh!! My story is identical! My EF is 17% I thought I was having anxiety 😟. I could not breathe, feet legs face were so swollen with fluid. My stomach was hard as a rock and I got to a point where I started refusing food. Even at that point starting puking, if I did try to eat. Can not handle large amounts of fluid. Drinking Fluids made my breathing worse. I ignored all these symptoms over a course of a couple months. Until one Day after work, I felt like I was suffocating or downing slowly feeling. Off to the ER, and was diagnosed with Heart failure. I was shocked!! I’m only 49. I am now wearing a life Vest 24-7, and waiting for my Cardiologist to tell me what’s next. In the mean time, I have been put on 4 medications. Still can’t lay flat or on my left side. I do feel better since the hospital got about 20lbs of fluids off me. Exhaustion is still severe. I also have Pernicious Anemia. I felt relief hearing her story. We are definitely not alone ♥️

[@JessicaMartinez-rz2qh]

Oh my goodness ! I live in Bakersfield California .and trust me i have changed my Diet cut off coffee because i have seen many Cardiologists and this last cardiologist went as far as doing an angio gram on me and supposedly according to him it was great no blockages , and said my symptoms were just anxiety. I had horrible chest pain, jaw pain, headac hy es, dizzy , chest preassure , shortness of breath chest tightness feeling like you cant breath , i had shoulder , neck pain , back pain , toothlike pain arm pain numbness , and he atrributed it all to anxiety ..even the Hospitals everytime i went in blood preassure extremely high ..heart flutering consecutively ..but its in my head according to them ...noo i know my body the chest pain i get is scratching like preassure feels like i get dizzy when i get it and about to pass out it feels as if someone is blowing a ballon and deflating it i can only imagine the horror it would feel like if any of our organs were deflated and deflated knowing its tissue soo small the preassure and pain ..thos pain preassure scratching sensation would last days ! I eat healthy and active ..but sit for long hours doing nails ..i know have ankle feet swelling ..but according to last nights visit to the E.R due to High B / P. Leg pain on both legs and ankle and feet swelling ..Labs look good ..i just dont know anymore ! To trust Drs as they benefit from keeping people sick and on Meds .

[@walkbyfaith2874]

I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure on January 2020. I had to wear a life vest for 3 1/2 months. It was a very stressful timely fort me. Tina just to let you know it will get better with treatment. My cardiologist now is running test to see if I have cardic amyloidosis, because I didn't have any blocked heart vessels .

[@YodaMiyagi]

Prayers For Everyone On This Here Thread Praying For All Full Recovery

[@mk61289]

I had mine when I was 49 last year. My heart stopped couple of times and was revived by EMTs🙏. Surprisingly my EF was 55 from the measure taken in ER. The symptoms were not clear cut , the thing prompted me to call 911 was sudden profuse sweating. Looking back, I had symptoms for a month.

[@tinacristallo7226]

Just now seeing all these replies ♥️🌹 I hope all is doing better.

[@63frogsinahat84]

Heart failure happened to me. Intubated twice and then the third time they were going to let me go. I did breathe and stayed in the hospital and then a nursing home/rehabilitation center. Had to learn to walk again. Taking heart meds now will probably the rest of my life. Thank God for the medicines that are saving my life.

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@cathywithac3793]

Glad you're still here to share your story. It gives hope to others.🙏🕊

[@queandmelworld]

I suffer Heart Failure! It's been a year now. My heart is at 47 percent infraction. I started off at a 25 percent

[@ericnesbitt5812]

How did you raise your EF?

[@AprilJoi5]

Yes, how did you improve??

[@tabascocat5102]

infraction>??

[@jdm2563]

What treatments were used to improve it? I am being told that my husbands EF /IF has dropped to 10% and I need to prepare for his death . I am searching for solutions

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@merlvinc]

Thank you for talking about the fear! --Bonnie Robinson

[@gingerbrookshire1737]

Im a Christian and I have faith and you and your doctors interview, gives me hope. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR DOCTORS!!!!!!! 🙏❤

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM!!!!!

[@86corruption]

UCHEALTH in Colorado Springs documented CHF on my mother’s med record but failed to communicate this new diagnosis to her. She has had SOB for 10 months, significant reduction in quality of life, the doctors/specialists that she’s seen all say it’s “old age”. I insisted on getting a new PCP, first visit the PA told her about the CHF diagnosis now we wait for staging. Thank you for this informative video, someday maybe healthcare in Colorado Springs will be half as good as Denver!

[@Romer411]

God bless you Carol 🙏

[@BustedJunkStudio]

My story starts off 25 years ago with my first heart attack treated with an angioplasty. Over time I developed angina on exertion but not severe enough to stop me from my activities. 12 years ago I had another heart attack bad enough to require a triple bypass. Once again I bounced back doing pretty good until a few years later when I started developing adema in my feet and lower legs. Over the next few years I started having more severe dyspnea and angina, fatigue and a decreasing ability to get around without extreme difficulty. I have been tended to and medicated through phase 1 and 2 CHF by my doctors. This January I had severe VTAC episodes putting me in the hospital again but this time getting and ICD implanted. Ive had stents, grafts, all the medicine there is and now an ICD installed putting me firmly in phase 3 CHF. It's an up and down rollercoaster of feeling fine and then feeling terrible in a declining spiral right now. At 71 there's not much more that medical science can do for me. I'm doing fine today but tomorrow never knows.

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

Were glad you are doing well today. Stay connected closely to your heart failure team. We wish you the best.

[@sekanipeople8273]

Amazing thank you for sharing. 25 Years way to go. I hope I got 2y years left, actually I hope I have more

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@fluffytail6355]

I can relate to this so much. I was in Jamaica visiting my husband (who lived there at the time) in October. Last night of my vacation before I flew back home, I started coughing up pink foam in the bathroom and could not catch my breath. I had recently overcome bronchitis just prior to my trip so I thought this was just a complication that I would get checked once I was home. I picked up a rescue inhaler from a pharmacy on my way to the airport so I could get home without passing out because I was so short of breath. Went to the ER the next day and spent 8 hours getting a battery of tests, then was sent home without treatment. Several tests were abnormal and the ER doctor noticed a murmur upon auscultation. He referred me to a cardiologist and ordered an echo. Both confirmed severe aortic stenosis. Another month went by and I ended up in ER again with same signs of SOB and foamy substance that I coughed up. During the time between the previous visit and this one, I couldn’t lay flat to sleep because of fluid on my lungs which one could hear just while sitting next to me. Another 8 hours in the ER and doc only gave me a warfarin injection for “asthma.” 🤷‍♀️. Fast forward 5 months of the same SOB, fluid on the lungs and foam when I coughed until I dropped down at home one morning and my husband called 911. Firefighters put me on oxygen and ambulance transferred me to ER where I was admitted and put on injectable lasix (a diuretic). Over the next few hours, I urinated off 35 pounds of fluid and was taken to the cardiac care ward. I stayed there for 2 weeks until my angiogram which revealed a 98% blocked right coronary artery. Surgery for aortic valve replacement and CABG was scheduled thereafter. I’m in healthcare and was in complete denial even though I understood what my healthcare team described to me. My mind couldn’t comprehend this was happening as I felt “fine” other than being SOB and having this annoying cough (which I still attributed to recovering from bronchitis). Now I’m 5 months post open heart surgery and still can’t believe I went through this experience. My new reality is that I have CAD and a weak heart. I am on fluid restriction and a low sodium eating plan. I’m embracing my new diet plan as I’ve been able to recognize how poor my diet was prior to surgery (which likely directly affected my RCA). I don’t know how many years I have left or if I’ll have to undergo this surgery again in future but for now, I’m living one day at a time.

[@hotlatino7220]

You are so lucky. The Lord was opening your eyes and needs you down here for more important missions. Turn to him and listen. Believe you me. He is the real doctor.

[@deanbutler8417]

Barostim

[@silasibrahimarbe5228]

I was diagnosed with congested heart failure am worried, but seeing your testimony am encourage even though I'm from poor family treatment is very difficult for me

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@georgetaylor8535]

My heart is at 25 percent infraction and with this disease I get terribly scared on top of feeling vulnerable and helpless at times. What really hit home was when she was saying that people look at you like your normal because you look normal but don't understand how difficult normal life is to me and might think im just being lazy and dont want to do anything just because when that definitely is not the case and that bothers me a lot. This story sounds exactly like mine thank you so much for sharing your story.

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

Glad this hit home with you, George. The journey is a marathon, so keep on plugging away! We wish you the very best! Live well!

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM!!!!!!

[@jeananderson1598]

Thank you so much for sharing your story! It was very informative. God bless.

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

You are so welcome!

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@healing_and_humor4530]

I'm a mental health professional and I let my symptoms go on for 6 weeks before acknowledging that what I was experiencing was not just "anxiety" and accepted that my coping skills were just postponing returning symptoms. I finally drove myself to urgent care. They referred me to the ED because they couldn't rule out that I was having a heart attack. The ED staff was great and I was admitted that night. I came home on Lasix, Spironolactone, Lisinopril, Isosorbide, and 2 other PRN meds. Unfortunately, I ALSO came home on insulin injections 4x/day because my lab showed I am also diabetic with an A1C of 12.2. I'm glad I can breathe now...but I really miss my energy. The fatigue bites! My journey just started. I was just discharged March 24, 2022. No idea what's in store. Thank you for this video.

[@deanbutler8417]

Barostim

[@inthelightofk4670]

I am 31 😞 with two kids, my EF was 15-20% and was dealing with chest burning for a couple years. Then my heart burned and congestion built up doing regular things like brushing my teeth. I have CHF because of an aortic valve that needed replacing and I HAD NO IDEA. I went to the hospital a year and a half before they told me it was Anxiety, my regular cardiologist said it was an insignificant heart murmur/ 8 months later it was severe leaky aortic valve 😢

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

We hope you can get the care and treatment you need and have a story like Carol's.

[@TualaShields]

I'm so sorry to hear your story. My prayers are with you.

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@MedSurvivalMnemonics]

Drugs with Mortality benefit in Heart Failure with reduced Ejection fraction are 1. ARNIs/ACEI/ARBs 2. Beta blockers 3. Spironolactone 4. Hydralazine/Nitrate 5. Ivabradine 6. SGLT2 Inhibitors

[@shaireaselynnette]

Your story is almost identical to mine. Glad you are doing well!

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@yolandrawomack3457]

HOW MANY STAGES iS HEART FAiLURE iM 51 YEARS OLD AT STAGE TWO

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

You can learn more about heart failure stages here, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/what-is-heart-failure/classes-of-heart-failure#:~:text=Heart%20failure%20can%20progress%2C%20so,function%20and%20severity%20of%20symptoms.

[@hotlatino7220]

why do they make these videos and they don't respond

[@rafaelgonzalez9977]

Advertising the hospital

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

Hello! Sorry for the late response. Do you have a question I can answer?

[@mannyperez4429]

@@SouthDenverCardiology How is she now doing after several years? What medications is she taking and will she ever be able to not take medication? Thank you.

[@hotlatino7220]

Many Perez hard to say.

[@ianjameshodges1509]

Good point ,!

[@sidewinder3434]

Am I missing something ?what caused the heart failure and low EF?

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

Heart failure and low EF can be caused by many things, The American Heart Association has a good explanation for your question. Learn more here, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/causes-and-risks-for-heart-failure/causes-of-heart-failure

[@walkbyfaith2874]

I was wondering what causes her congestive heart failure. My doctor is test me for Amyloidosis.

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@steelhurricane4041]

Thank you for this video. Doctor told me I have heart failure, it's very confusing and I have appt with a cardiologist in a month. To me that seems like a long time, considering how I feel. I have a lot of water I suppose and gained weight like overnight. Its hard to breathe and walk.

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Through the help of your cardiologist, we hope you get on a treatment plan that helps your heart and makes you feel much better. A word of caution: if you have difficulty breathing or chest pain, make sure to see your primary care provider asap or go to the nearest emergency room. We wish you the very best!

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM

[@SET12DSP]

For those that have high cornary calcium scores! I had a 660 CAC and have been able to reduce it to 458 on the Linus Pauling Heart Protocol in just 20 months. This high dose vitamin C with Lysine and Proline. I also use magnesium glycinate as an assist.

[@katesthgreat7552]

Huge missed opportunity here to list and explain all possible symptoms. At the end I thought y’all were finally addressing it, but she did not. Water weight gain… how does that manifest or how do you know if weight gain is water retention? How much weight in what period of time is cause for concern? My dad had a pacemaker, and over the past 6 months, I’ve gained probably 25 pounds of water weight gain (I believe due to swelling in top of my feet and other areas). My dad before he died also suggested this was the cause of the weight gain. My doctor said Wednesday my blood pressure is high and it’s never been high before. She hasn’t chosen to address my swollen feet and legs/hands or the water weight gain yet, but wants me to monitor my blood pressure myself at home. I ordered the cuff, and will begin tomorrow, but I feel like they’re not taking this pressing issue as seriously as it could be and I’m at a spot where I don’t know what I can do to help advocate for myself then. I also have sinus tachycardia (congenital inherited from my dad). No other cause could explain the high heart rhythm, which resting is 110 average I’d say. I have narcolepsy too, so lethargy won’t be a symptom I’ll ever notice bc I’m always exhausted. Also, haven’t worn my Apple Watch since April 2023, when I wore it for about two month and stopped, but saw a few days ago in my Apple health app it detected atrial fibrillation on one occasion. Must have removed it before it could tell me bc didn’t get any alert of this, but it has a record of the date and time it says it happened. Told doctor this once too, though I haven’t brought the watch to her or shown her in the app at all. I’m sure I’m dying though. I have a feeling of dread all the time now, so now I’m about to spiral after seeing this.

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

Hello, and thank you for reaching out to us. Are you local to the Denver area or live out of state? To first answer your questions on heart failure symptoms, here is the link to the American Heart Assoc discussing that topic. www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/warning-signs-of-heart-failure. You definitely have a lot going on and staying in close contact with your primary care provider and/or cardiologist is an excellent plan. Make sure to let your providers aware of your Apple watch A-fib detection as this should be looked into. If you live close, we would be happy to see you. Our scheduling number is 303-744-1065.

[@shanshan8402]

How are you now, I am 21.5 year old and i have chest pain, leg abdomen hand swelling, wake up night after 3/4 hours of sleep, when I drink I can feel the water going to right or left side of lungs or chest, blue viens on hands, pin and needle on body . My ecg was normal, basic echo (without EF) was normal.

[@tww9tw9]

Was your heart enlarged as well or not? 55% heart output that's Awesome!

[@ranjankana5929]

Is Carol still alive?

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

Yes.

[@ranjankana5929]

@@SouthDenverCardiology A follow up on her journey would help us all. Many of us are eating and sleep depriving and denying that it could happen to us. I was injected with lasik 5 hours ago to reduce the swelling in ankles post stents inserted Sunday PM. No change.

[@SouthDenverCardiology]

@@ranjankana5929 thank you for the suggestion. Are you a South Denver Cardiology patient?

[@hotlatino7220]

How are you doing today Carol

[@mikegianfrancesco9431]

i 50 years old just and my ef is 35-39

[@deanbutler8417]

BAROSTIM!!!!

[@coeniedevilliers8792]

The nurse interrupts too much

[@fallback8314]

she really does

[@suziquestionable2845]

6:09

[@suziquestionable2845]

8:12

[@chritoarxto6108]

All thanks to doctor Alued on KZbin who cure me from heart disease thank you #doctoralued

[@tabascocat5102]

Amy Adams eyes

[@georgen9755]

carol TSA

[@kathychloe1181]

My symptoms lasted for several months on and off a little bit of swelling and then it got to where I was very swollen and I could not breathe at all I couldn't lay down I thought I was having panic attacks even as I pass out throwing up with my head spinning in a horrible migraine I still played it off like it was something not so serious.. I went have blood work done and they told me the next day go straight to the hospital.. they proceed to tell my heart's at 15 percent EF.. have a clot in a left ventricle and also two blocked arteries.. I went into the hospital weighing 185 lb and came out weighing 115 lb because I had so much fluid on me when I went in.. It was about 9 months ago.. and I actually haven't even seen a cardiologist yet because of insurance issues and some things getting messed up at the hospital with my disability and I was just so patient.. 😂 however I have been seeing a PA at a low-cost clinic since then has had me on spironolactin losartan carvedilol warfarin & furosemide.. and I was admitted to the hospital last month and we were thinking it was hard issues turned out that my kidneys were backed up.. but they did a EKG and a sonogram on my heart and the clots are gone my valves are open and my heart is at 60% EF. I think the main thing I've done was actually helping is I've been exercising frequently.

[@deanbutler8417]

Everone that us dealing with this as I am here is new innovation: Barostim

[@SET12DSP]

That is very cool, especially with people who have a low Ejection Fraction.